Court OKs controversial $300M Palisades office tower

The New Jersey Superior Court has given the go-ahead for LG Electronics to move forward with its plan to build an office tower just beyond the Palisades, according to DNAinfo.

Much to the dismay of many northern Manhattan groups, the court decided to uphold the Englewood Cliffs zoning board’s ability to grant a height variance to the South Korean electronics firm, which plans to build an eight-story glass and metal tower as part of its North American headquarters.

The project has been met with criticism from the Cloisters, the New York Restoration Project, Manhattan Community Board 12 and the Fort Tryon Park Trust, among other groups. Opponents of the $300 million project believe that the tower will be an eyesore amidst a national landmark.

In a statement, LG called the ruling “great news for the company and its employees, and especially for the local community because of the enormous economic benefits that this green building will bring to Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County and the State of New Jersey.”

LG had been entangled in legal battles over the tower for nearly a year and a half. With this ruling, however, the firm can now begin construction of the tower, which is scheduled for completion by 2016. [DNAinfo] – James Comtois